The Austin weekly statesman. (Austin, Tex.) 1883-1898, 1887-09-22

1OO DOS0S On0 OOIldf
ent town of Groesbeeck is located. On
May 10, 1886, about three years after the
arrival of the Parkers in Texas, ''their lit
tie fort was visited" says our Texas his.
torian, Rev. Homer S. Thral', "by several
hundred Comanche and Caddo Indians,
who treacherously pretended friendship by
presenting a white flag" There were
thirty five persons in the fort at the time,
but of that number only five we're able to
bear arms, namely, the brothers Silas,
Isaac and Benjamin Parker, it,, and
Messrs. Samuel and Robert Frost.
The Indians inquired of the settlers If
there was any water near by, where they
could camp, and also expressed desire
to purchase beef steer. Being entirely
thrown off their guard by the friendly
manner of the savages, Mr.. Benjamin
Parker, jr., went outside the fort to point
them to water, when he was instantly
killed. The Indians then rushed into the
for killing Mr.. Benjamin, ST., aged 70
years, together with all the men above
named, except Mr.. Isaac afterwards
called ColoneD Parker, who, with several
others, escaped.
Mrs. Elizabeth kellogg, Mrs. Rachel
Plummer, her little two-year-old son
James, little Cynthia Ann Parker, aged 8
years, and her younger brother, John,
aged 6, were captured Cynthia Ann and
John were children of Mr.. Silas Parker,
one of the men who was slain.
* Il = s.
The venerable Isaac Parker, still in
hopes of hearing of his long lost niece,
went to Camp Cooper to see Captain
Ross prisoner. Her age and general ap-
pearance seemed to correspond with the
object of his search, but as she had for
gotten every word of her native tongue,
the poor old man could not make her I'M
derstand what he wanted.
He was about to go away In despair,
when Captain Ross asked him the name
of his captive niece.
'Her first name was Cynthia" Colonel
Parker replied. "Shehad middle name,
believe, but do not remember what it
was"
did her mother call her Cynthia?"
asked Captain Ross.
eyes," replied the old man. 81 have an
indistinct recollection" he continued,
"that she used to call her by double
name sometimes, but l have forgotten
what her middle name was. 1t may haye
been Ann. Yes, believe her mother did
call her Cynthia Ann; but this woman has
so utterly forgotten every word of English,
of course she does not remember her own
name"
SWELL" resumed the captain, sit will do
no harm TO try little experiment. You
go up close enough to her to see what
effect, if any, it will have upon her; but
do not let her see that you are noticing
her."
The old man sauptered along by the
place where the woman set upon the
ground in the sunshine, apparently oblivi
GUS of the past and present.
The shrill notes of Capt. Ross, in imita
tion of a woman's voice, rang out upon
the morning breeze of that wild, western
prairie, as he called:
"Cynthy o, Cynthia"
The poor woman reused up from her
apparent lethargy and looked about her
with evident animation.
Again Captain Ross called, "CynthyI
o, Cynthia!"
The woman now Strengthened up and,
patting herself upon the breast, repeated
slowly and with hesitation:
yn-thy-Cyn-thy- emphasizing
the last syllable according to the Indian
idiom,
Colonel Parker now had no doubt as to
the identity of the poor captive. She was
indeed his long lost niece who was cap
tured at Fort Parker about quarter of a
century before, and had for two dozen
weary yeas been with those wild Bedouins
f the west-the Comanche Indians.
A ray of recollection seemed to spring
up in her mind, and emotions that had
long lain dormant were rekindled in her
bosom by the sound of the name her
mothers lips had so often uttered when
she was but little girl! All else had been
obliterated but that. No word of her
mother tongue aroused a ray of remem-
brance in her dulled intellect until the
long forgotten name of her childhood
once more greeted her ears.
In q letter to Mr.. Thrall Col. Parker
said:
"The moment she heard her name
called her countenance changed. A pleas
ant smile took the place of sodden gloom,
and from that moment she was a diff
ferent being"
We can but very family imagine, per-
haps, what the poor captive's emotions
were as the fact that she was now with
friends, instead of enemies, began to dawn
upon her, and that she belonged to diff
ferent race from that with which she had
so long over the dreary Llano
(the staked plains) of Texas end
New Mexico.
Her uncle Isaac carried her to his home,
and she soon recovered her native tongue.
1t was during the late war, and she learned
TO spin and weave and perform many
household duties. She did not long sur
we the restoration to her people, how
ever, having died two or three years ago.
Perhaps the sudden change from savage
to civilized life was too great for her.
DICK MAYOR.